Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

 Twins rally, collapse, rally again to beat White Sox. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 1  Souhan: Twins should roll the dice and call up Berrios. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 2  Inside the numbers of Miguel Sano's first two months in the majors. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 3  Twins season-ticket prices inching up in 2016 for some seats. Star Tribune (Walsh) p. 4  : Miguel Sano gets 'Septober' off to good start. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 5  Twins: September call-up for Jose Berrios still possible. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6  Postgame Twinsights: converts eventful after 16-day wait. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7  Twinsights: Burdi, Walker, Rogers head Twins’ 2015 AFL class. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8  Twinsights: J.R. Graham (shoulder) plays catch, feels better. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8  Limited by injury, Sano slows down HR trot. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 9  After Sano homers, Twins capitalize on errors. MLB.com (Bollinger & Merkin) p. 10  Escobar raising the bar with everyday role. MLB.com (Helfand) p. 11  Walker among prospects headed to AFL. MLB.com (Helfand) p. 12  Ryan, Molitor say decision on prospect Berrios has not yet been made. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 13  Zulgad: Twins GM does impressive job of dodging Berrios queries. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 14  Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Duffey finds trouble, Sano homers, Sox fumble. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 15  Sano’s ties game, White Sox kick it away in the next inning. Associated Press p. 16

Twins rally, collapse, rally again to beat White Sox

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | September 1, 2015

Eduardo Escobar has seen enough, and made his feelings known about his teammate Miguel Sano.

“In two years,” Escobar said. “He’s going to be the next Miguel Cabrera.”

Quite a statement, but Escobar sees Sano’s strength and the way he takes at-bats, and it reminds him of the Tigers’ hitting star.

Sano continued his tear on Tuesday by collecting three hits, including his 14th home run in the Twins’ 8-6 victory over the White Sox. Opponents don’t want to pitch to Cabrera in big moments, and Sano is showing that trait 50 games into his career. His home run in the seventh tied the game at 5-5 while bringing Target Field fans to their feet, and it set up the Twins’ three-run eighth, which was fueled by two Chicago errors.

Don’t underestimate the timing of Sano’s home run, which came on a 3-2 change up thrown by Nate Jones. The Twins had blown a 4-0 lead at that point and the White Sox were threatening to make a winner out of ace lefthander Chris Sale when Sano connected for his 14th home run.

“The momentum changer was the home run, for us,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I think when you are trailing and you have relinquished the lead, you know that if you can get back to even it takes a little of the pressure off because you are in your home park and you tie a game and you know you are going to get the last at-bat somewhere along the way.

“So that was huge to get the home run to tie the game, then we put together a nice inning.”

According to ESPN Stats and Info, Sano is one of four players in the last 10 seasons to hit 14 home runs through their first 50 games. And seven of Sano’s home runs have either tied the game of given the Twins the lead. “For me, he’s the next Miggy,” Escobar said. “Good discipline at the plate. He looks like a veteran guy, not a young guy.”

Eduardo Escobar led off the eighth with a and scored when White Sox reliever Zach Duke fielded ’s bunt and threw it down the line for an error. batted and reached when Tyler Saladino let his grounder get through his legs and into left field. Suzuki scored on ’s single and Buxton scored on a shallow sacrifice fly - crossing the plate standing up - to put the Twins ahead 8-5.

Glen Perkins gave up a run in the ninth but still picked up his 32nd save. Kevin Jepsen, 3-6, pitched a scoreless eighth inning to win his first game as a Twin.

Sano scored the Twins first run in the second inning on Escobar’s single. Suzuki added an RBI single and Brian Dozier hit a two-run double as the Twins took a 4-0 lead on Sale, who entered the game 1-3 with a 6.46 ERA against the Twins this season.

What caught Molitor’s eye was how Sano ran gingerly on his sore right hamstring as he went from first to second on a wild pitch, then to third on Eddie Rosario’s single. Sano has been told not to push things on the basepaths as he recovers.

“It was the first time we’ve seen him run the bases with that leg injury and it concerns me somewhat,” Molitor said. “We’ve told him to be careful in terms of decision-making, but obviously it’s still bothering him a little bit and that is a concern.”

Sano said he treats his hamstring 45 minutes before each game, and it is not bothering him that much.

“I try not to run too fast,” Sano said.

But if he keeps hitting home runs, he won’t have to worry about running hard.

Souhan: Twins should roll the dice and call up Berrios

Jim Souhan | Star Tribune | September 1, 2015

The first meaningful September game at Target Field since 2010 felt like the beginning of the last episode of a favorite serial TV show. You don’t know how it’s going to end or whether it will be renewed.

Tuesday night, players wore presumptuous T-shirts welcoming the next month or two of baseball. September call-ups flooded the clubhouse, turning an often quiet space into what felt like a high school reunion. Paul Molitor and Terry Ryan answered questions about top pitching prospect Jose Berrios staying in Rochester instead of joining the big-league team.

Then, Tyler Duffey — called up instead of Berrios a month ago — looked like one of the Twins’ most important players for this September, and perhaps many in the future, for exactly 4⅔ innings.

While the Twins’ lineup continued its continuing mastery of the otherwise exceptional Chris Sale, Duffey teased and taunted the White Sox with a customizable curve and seemingly calmed nerves.

Through those 4⅔ innings, Duffey looked like the ideal addition to a pitching staff – a pitcher with savvy and underrated stuff. Duffy not only got the call-up that might have gone to Berrios; he is well past the first-start nerves that Berrios would be subject to if he arrived this month.

On Aug. 5 in Toronto, Duffey faced baseball’s most fearsome lineup and allowed six runs in two innings, earning a loss.

Since then, Duffey has gone from a necessary call-up to a key figure in the Twins’ playoff chase.

His performance Tuesday made a case for why Berrios should be called up, and why that might not work out too well.

Duffey is 24. He pitched at a major college — well, Rice — before the Twins drafted him. If he’s going to be a good major league pitcher, he would probably start showing signs that he is ready at about this juncture of his career. Despite quality experience and an advanced age for a prospect, he got whacked in his big-league debut, and invited the White Sox back into the competition Tuesday after being staked to a 4-0 lead.

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Duffey got the first two outs in the fifth inning, seemingly preserving that 4-0 lead. The next five batters reached base, three runs scored, and Neal Cotts was called in. One line drive at centerfielder Byron Buxton ended the inning.

There is no question Berrios is the Twins’ best big-league-ready pitching prospect. He is 21. He has pitched in 70 innings above Class AA. He has averaged 9.9 per game at Class AAA Rochester. His ERA is 2.67.

Is he ready to pitch in a playoff race?

The only honest answer is “maybe.’’

Should he be given a chance?

Since Duffey’s debut, he has pitched well enough to stay in the rotation, despite his fifth-inning letdown on Tuesday. Tommy Milone is 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA. is 9-9 with a 3.82 ERA. Ervin Santana is coming off an excellent start. Mike Pelfrey has been unreliable of late, but Phil Hughes is coming off the disabled list soon.

There is no guarantee that Berrios will pitch better in his big league debut than did Duffey. If Berrios didn’t replace Duffey in the rotation, he would have to replace a veteran big league pitcher.

Berrios is close to his perceived innings limit on the season, even though Ryan wouldn’t specify what that limit is. He may be able to make only one or two starts before being shut down for the season.

Should the Twins call him up? The best answer is a question.

Why not?

Why not call up Berrios, let him get used to the big leagues, get used to the pressure of a playoff race, and prepare himself to pitch should the need arise.

Call him up, and let him prepare to start. The move would force the Twins to cut a player off their 40-man roster. That kind of problem is the side effect of contention, difficult but welcome.

Calling up your best pitching prospect in a playoff race couldn’t hurt, and it just might help, whether in two weeks or seven months.

Inside the numbers of Miguel Sano's first two months in the majors

Michael Rand | Star Tribune | September 1, 2015 Miguel Sano made his major league debut on July 2. That’s a little crazy to think about because he’s only been in the majors for two months, yet it’s hard to remember what the Twins’ lineup looked like without him. (Hint: It wasn’t as pretty. They averaged 4.22 runs per game before Sano joined the team and have averaged 4.52 runs per game since he came into the lineup).

With the calendar page turned to September and the Twins firmly entrenched in a playoff race, here is a look at Sano’s first two months in the big leagues, by the numbers:

THE OUTCOMES OF A SANO AT-BAT Every at-bat, I suppose, has four likely outcomes: a walk, a , a hit, or a ball put in play for an out. There are infrequent plays like sacrifices, reaching on an error, hit by pitch, etc., but those are the four main ones.

What’s striking about Sano is the distribution of those four things, and how it adds up to an OPS of nearly 1.000. In 206 plate appearances, Sano has:

49 hits; 33 walks; 74 strikeouts; and 50 other outs (21 on the ground, 19 fly balls and 10 line drives). If you prefer that in pie chart form, here it is:

By comparison, here is Joe Mauer in 528 plate appearances this season (this isn’t done to pick on Mauer, just to show the huge difference in approach/results):

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129 hits; 48 walks or hit by pitch; 88 strikeouts; 263 other outs (171 ground outs, 51 fly outs, 40 line drive outs and 1 bunt out). Again, in pie chart form you really see the difference:

Fewer than half of Sano’s plate appearances end with him putting the ball in play, and nearly one-third of them end with strikeouts. By contrast, roughly three-fourths of Mauer’s at bats end with him putting the ball in play and only 1 of every 6 ends in a strikeout. The 2015 sample size is clearly larger for Mauer than it is for Sano, but with the data we have so far it’s illustrative of the new model of hitting, where a strikeout isn’t a sin — as long as you’re taking walks and hitting the ball hard when you do put it in play. And oh, Sano is most definitely doing that.

(HITTING THE) BALL SO HARD

Of Sano’s 49 hits this season, 26 (slightly more than half, 13 homers and 13 doubles) have gone for extra bases. Two months is a small sample size, again, but that’s a TON of extra base hits. His batting average on balls in play (which takes home runs out of the equation) is .419, which might be considered unsustainable until you consider just how hard Sano hits the ball when he does make contact.

One of my favorite sites in 2015 is Baseball Savant, which takes exit velocity data from hitters and puts it into very usable form. The major league average exit velocity speed off the bat is somewhere between 88 and 89 mph this season. So we can consider 90 mph the standard where we start to call the contact speed above average.

Of the 73 Sano at-bats that have been tracked and in which he put the ball in play, 51 ended with him hitting the ball at least 90 mph (69.9 percent) and 34 of them (46.6 percent) ended with him hitting it at least 100 mph. How does Sano compare to teammates when it comes to hitting the ball at least 90 mph? Here’s a look at Sano vs. many of the Twins’ most accomplished regulars this season:

It’s not perfect because not every at bat has been tracked, but for the ones that have been tracked for each player, Sano is consistently hitting the ball “hard” 10 to 15 percent more often than his teammates.

It adds up to a monster first two months in spite of a pace that, over a full season, would have Sano striking out more than 200 times. His offensive production at least puts Sano in the Rookie of the Year conversation and has helped the Twins remain relevant into September.

Twins season-ticket prices inching up in 2016 for some seats

Paul Walsh | Star Tribune | September 1, 2015 Now that the Twins are marching ever closer to finishing 2015 with a winning record for the first time since 2010, the front office informed season-ticket holders this week that prices for some seats in 2016 are increasing ever so slightly.

Many of the most expensive season-ticket packages are going up by a buck or two per game, while packages for nearly all of the middle- to lower-priced sections are staying the same.

The exceptions: Pricey Legends Club packages are holding steady, while a full season of bargain-basement field-view seating (top deck, down the right- field line) is rising by a $1 per game to $972 for 81 dates.

The top-of-the-heap Champions Club seats, a few hundred right behind home plate, are roughly $19,000 to nearly $24,000 for this season. The Twins website does not list those 2016 prices yet. At the next rung, dugout box seats will run $5,994 for a full season, up from $5,832.

The nudge northward for some season-ticket packages breaks a string of four consecutive years of no increases.

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Minnesota Twins: Miguel Sano gets 'Septober' off to good start

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | MLB.com Even after a three-hit game against the team that traded him away, all Eduardo Escobar wanted to talk about was Miguel Sano.

"Miggy is strong, man," the Twins shortstop said after Tuesday's 8-6 win over the . "Good approach at the plate, good discipline. He looks like a veteran guy, not a rookie. For me, Miggy is the next Miguel Cabrera in this league."

Escobar paused and let those words sink in for his audience. Then he made like Sano and drove his point home.

"Sano is the next Miguel Cabrera in a couple years," he said. "I'm serious."

A couple years? Or a couple weeks?

Sano's blast into the second deck off White Sox reliever Nate Jones gave him 14 homers, just two behind Houston's for the lead among American League rookies. Half of those Sano Shots have either tied the score or put the Twins ahead.

Circling the bases on one good hamstring after his game-tying homer in the seventh, the 22-year-old man-child could have passed for the Dominican Kirk Gibson.

"I think he thrives on that," Twins starter Tyler Duffey said. "You can feel the energy. Even the last at-bat, when he struck out, you could tell the whole crowd was just on the edge of their seats. He's fun to watch. He's having fun out there playing."

Why wouldn't he? Wednesday marks the two-month point since Sano was promoted from Double-A Chattanooga, and his longest home run drought remains a paltry five games.

Even Kris Bryant, the Chicago Cubs rookie sensation with 21 homers, has had power droughts of 20, 17 and 15 games.

Winning for the ninth time in 11 games, the Twins came back after blowing an early 4-0 lead off White Sox ace Chris Sale. They remain within striking distance of the and the second wild-card spot in the league.

After destroying a 3-2 from Jones, Sano has homered off 12 and against nine teams.

"I knew it was gone when I hit it," Sano said with a smile. "I'm so happy because I hit a homer and tied the game. It was really important. This team can make the playoffs. This team needs to win the World Series."

A pair of White Sox errors allowed the Twins to take control in a three-run eighth. Escobar started the rally with a leadoff double, then came around to score the go-ahead run on Kurt Suzuki's sacrifice bunt and a throwing error by lefty Zach Duke.

Joe Mauer followed an intentional walk with an RBI single for some insurance.

Sano started a four-run rally in the second with a sharp single to right. Escobar and Suzuki added run-scoring singles, and Brian Dozier had a two-run double off a dominant pitcher the Twins had somehow beaten three straight times.

It might have been four straight losses for Sale if not for Duffey's control issues in the fifth (three straight walks) and Avisail Garcia's go-ahead homer off reliever Casey Fien in the sixth.

It was the first homer off Fien since July 8, when Baltimore's Manny Machado and Chris Davis got him. Fien had gone 23 outings without giving up a homer, pitching to a 1.85 earned-run average in 24 1/3 innings in that span.

Sano, however, rode to the rescue yet again as the Twins went 1-0 in the month they're calling "Septober." The rookie is taking treatment on his ailing right hamstring before and after games, and he was unable to score from second on a single into the corner by Eddie Rosario.

"You don't know if he's being overly careful or if that's all he's got," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It doesn't bother him to swing. The home run (trot) was nice and slow."

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Twins: September call-up for pitcher Jose Berrios still possible

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | MLB.com Twins manager Paul Molitor said Tuesday the organization hasn't ruled out a September promotion for top pitching prospect Jose Berrios.

Despite the 21-year-old right-hander being passed over for one of five promotions doled out after Monday night's game at -A Rochester, Berrios still could join the Twins' postseason push, possibly as a reliever.

"I don't think we have finalized everything we're going to do here," Molitor said. "Going forward, his name is definitely still being talked about."

Twins general manager Terry Ryan, who watched Berrios' past two starts in person, suggested the September plan for Berrios remains fluid.

"That will be up for discussion," Ryan said. "He pitched well. Other guys did as well. We haven't made that decision yet."

Although Berrios is the odds-on favorite to repeat as Twins minor league pitcher of the year, something that has never happened since the award was introduced in 2002, his career-high innings total has reached 161 1/3. That's already 15 percent higher than the 140 innings he compiled last season.

That's where the idea of a bullpen role for Berrios could come into play. Just seven of his 81 pro outings have come in relief, and all of those were in his first summer after signing out of high school in 2012.

He made a couple of relief outings for Puerto Rico in the 2013 , most notably striking out Robinson Cano, but even Berrios' two All-Star Futures Game outings have come as the World Team starter.

"If you're going to ask him to come here potentially and pitch out of the bullpen, it's not something he's ever really done," Molitor said. "You can't assume that's just going to be a smooth transition, that's going to be a slam dunk for him to come in here and help us. There's a lot of things to consider other than the fact we know he's a talented kid who's had a great year and hopefully he's a big part of our future."

Besides innings, the main reason to hold off on promoting Berrios is potentially the roster crunch coming up in late November. Among Twins prospects who must be added to the 40-man roster or be exposed to the are lefties Taylor Rogers, Mason Melotakis, Corey Williams and Brett Lee; right-handers Felix Jorge, Zack Jones, J.T. Chargois, , Cole Johnson, Alex Muren, Dereck Rodriguez, D.J. Baxendale, , Tim Shibuya and Randy Rosario; outfielders Adam Brett Walker II and Travis Harrison; and infielders Engelb Vielma and .

Of those, Rogers, Walker, Melotakis, Jorge, Jones, Chargois, Vielma and Harrison figure to have the highest priority, in no particular order. Berrios doesn't need to be added to the 40-man roster until November 2016.

"That's always a factor whenever you're starting to mess around with roster space and who you might have to protect in November," Ryan said. "That is a piece. We brought up (Byron Buxton), and he didn't really need to be protected, and that's another piece. You always have to look and be guarded because you certainly don't want to lose people when you're creating space and you don't know how many at-bats or how many innings a guy might get."

That is likely what Molitor was referring to when he said the Twins front office has "other considerations to worry about" besides whether Berrios would be effective in his first true baseball September.

"Now we have to try to figure out -- somehow, someway -- if there's something there that might be worthwhile to try to think about bringing him here," Molitor said.

With 170 strikeouts, Berrios leads all minor league pitchers with less than a week remaining in the regular season. One of eight Twins pitchers at any level with 100-plus strikeouts, Berrios has a 28-strikeout lead on Tyler Duffey, who started Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox.

Asked if he had any concerns about Berrios, Ryan shook his head.

"None," he said. "No concerns."

Any signs the 6-foot workout warrior might be wearing down?

"I didn't notice any," Ryan said. "He works hard. You don't have to worry about his work ethic."

Of his final 25 starts, Berrios worked on four days' rest 15 times. He had an extra day of rest between starts six times, while just four times was he granted six or more days of rest between starts.

Berrios was pulled before completing six innings just seven times in his 26 starts so far. The last time that happened was July 8, shortly after he was promoted to Triple-A Rochester. 6

He has thrown 90 or more pitches in his past 12 starts. Eight times this year he has been pushed to 100 or more pitches, with a season high of 113.

Berrios was pulled before reaching 90 pitches just six times and none since June 20. The last two of those early exits were related to a comebacker he took off his shin in mid-June.

For the year, Berrios has thrown 2,443 pitches, an average of 93.96 per start. That was almost three pitches per start more than Duffey, 24 and a former college standout at Rice.

Postgame Twinsights: Glen Perkins converts eventful save after 16-day wait

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | MLB.com Twins closer Glen Perkins worked a three-hit ninth for his 32nd save in 34 chances, but it certainly wasn’t easy. The ever-dangerous Jose Abreu came up as the potential go-ahead run before flying out to center to end the game. Coming off neck and back issues, Perkins had gone a season-long 16 days between save opportunities. He had prior droughts of 13 days (July 25- Aug. 7) and 10 days (June 17-27). Whether it was rust-related or not, Perkins gave up a pair of hits on 0-2 sliders that caught too much of the plate. The second one, Adam Eaton’s infield single toward a diving Joe Mauer, should have ended the game but Perkins was unable to get to the bag in time. “I don’t know if that was more mental or physical,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He definitely falls off to the third-base side. That’s a play you’d like to see him be able to beat somebody over there on a grounder.” Mauer ended up trying to make an awkward swipe tag on the speedy Eaton. “Bunts and things like that are a little different,” Molitor said. “(Perkins) either hesitated or spectated or whatever he did, it caused that to happen. We were fortunate to get out of the inning because sometimes those kind of mental mistakes can come back to get you.” –-Despite more early trouble against the Twins, White Sox starter Chris Sale still managed to reach 10 strikeouts for the 13th time this year. He’s the first pitcher with that many double-digit strikeouts in a season since hall of famer Randy Johnson in 2004. Johnson also struck out 10 or more exactly 13 times that season. Of the 68 runs Sale has allowed this year, 24 (or 35 percent) have come against the Twins. Sale has a 6.30 ERA in five starts (30 innings) against the Twins this year after entering the year at 2.45 against them in his first 16 games (eight starts, 62 1/3 innings). –Twins rookie Byron Buxton had two more strikeouts, giving him at least one in his past 20 games (31 total). That added to his own franchise mark, previously shared at 17 by Chris Colabello and George Mitterwald. –Miguel Sano insists he could play third base if needed, despite a right hamstring injury that has been bothering him since last week. “Little pain but I’m OK,” Sano said after his third three-hit game in the past three weeks. Molitor will continue to closely monitor Sano’s gait for signs he might need another day off at some point. Thursday’s day game could be a logical day of rest heading into another three-city road trip. “He’s hanging in there,” Molitor said. “First time we’ve seen him run the bases with that leg injury. It concerns me somewhat. I know we’ve told him to be a littie bit careful in terms of decision making, but obviously it’s still bothering him a little bit and that’s a little bit of a concern.” Sano was unable to score from second on Eddie Rosario’s second-inning single into the right-field corner. “I was hoping to have a little more on the base hit by Rosario,” Molitor said. “We’ll probably chat abou that. He’s a tough guy to take out of there. The trainers have told me his risk is fairly minimal because of his flexibility and the strength he has in the leg, but we’ll have to keep an eye on it.” –Brian Dozier hit his 34th double in the second, surpassing his previous career high of 33 (2013 and 2014).

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Twinsights: Burdi, Walker, Rogers head Twins’ 2015 AFL class

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | MLB.com Adam Brett Walker II is challenging for minor league titles in both home runs and strikeouts. Now the slugging outfielder for Double-A Chattanooga will get a chance to extend his season in the desert with the Scottsdale Scorpions. Walker, who must be added to the 40-man roster in November of subject to the Rule 5 draft, joined Lookouts teammates Nick Burdi (reliever) and Stuart Turner (catcher) atop the Twins’ seven-man delegation to this year’s Arizona Fall League. Also headed west for the first time are Class A Fort Myers catcher Mitch Garver and Miracle reliever Trevor Hildenberger. Returning for a second straight year are Class A reliever Jake Reed and Triple-A Rochester left-hander Taylor Rogers. Walker, who turns 24 shortly after the AFL season opens on Oct. 13, was a third-round pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University. He entered Tuesday’s play with 29 home runs, 101 runs batted in, 30 doubles and 187 strikeouts. The homers and strikeouts are career highs for Walker, whose .313 on-base percentage is harmed by a 35.1 percent strikeout rate that easily leads the Southern League. Walker has averaged 27 homers and 101 RBIs in his three full professional seasons. Turner, a third-round pick out of Ole Miss in 2013, has improved his OBP to .318 despite slugging just .307. His defensive skills and handling of pitchers have drawn raves from club officials. Rogers, with 161 innings, ranks second to fellow Triple-A lefty Pat Dean (170) in total innings among Twins minor leaguers. Rogers missed much of the 2014 AFL season after taking an liner off his left wrist area but he was able to return in time to work in relief for the league champions in the playoffs.

Twinsights: J.R. Graham (shoulder) plays catch, feels better

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | MLB.com Twins reliever J.R. Graham (shoulder) played catch on Tuesday for the first time since being placed on the disabled list a week earlier. A medical exam on Graham’s shoulder over the weekend found only weakness and some range-of-motion loss, the rookie Rule 5 pick said, rather than any structural damage. Graham still hopes to return this season. “I’m feeling good,” Graham said. “We’re on the right track.” Briefly –Double-A reliever Adrian Salcedo received a 100-game suspension without pay for a second positive test in violation of ’s ban on performance-enhancing drugs. As he did in April, Salcedo tested positive for Heptaminol, a banned stimulant. Earlier this season the Dominican Republic product missed 80 games without pay after also testing positive for Tamoxifen, a performance-enhancing substance. Salcedo, 24, was in Twins big-league camp on a non-roster basis. He posted a 4.70 ERA in 12 combined outings at Chattanooga and Triple-A Rochester this season. This marks the Twins’ 18th PED suspension since 2005. –To make room on the 40-man roster for catcher Eric Fryer, left-hander Jason Wheeler was outrighted to Double-A Chattanooga. Wheeler led the Twins’ system with 158 1/3 innings in 2014 but struggled badly at Triple-A (1-7, 6.58 ERA in 15 starts) and was sent back to the Lookouts. –Triple-A Rochester second baseman James Beresford and first baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez were named postseason all-stars for the International League. Beresford, 26, was hitting .314, highest for his career and second in the league. Rodriguez, 29, leads the league with 77 runs and 55 extra-base hits and ranks third in slugging (.456). He also played 33 games in the outfield. The last time two Red Wings made the postseason all-star team was 2007: right-hander Kevin Slowey and catcher Jose Morales.

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Limited by injury, Sano slows down HR trot

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | September 1, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins rookie slugger Miguel Sano has been nursing a mild right hamstring strain since Thursday, and has been told by the Twins coaching staff to take it easy on the bases.

It was apparent Tuesday night, as he couldn't score from second on a single to right field in the second and took his time running the bases after launching a game-tying solo homer in the seventh in an eventual 8-6 win. Sano's homer left the bat at 105 mph and traveled an estimated 400 feet with a launch angle of 30 degrees, per Statcast™ data. But it also took him 28.53 seconds to run the bases, as Sano is trying to play it smart with his hamstring.

"The home run was nice and slow," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Some of the other ones caught my attention a little bit." The homer was Sano's 14th in his 50th game, as the 22-year-old is hitting .295/.403/.608 with 41 RBIs. Seven of his homers have either tied the game or put the Twins ahead. Sano became the fourth player in the last 10 seasons to hit at least 14 home runs through his first 50 career games, joining Jose Abreu, Ryan Braun and Evan Gattis.

But Molitor said he was mostly worried when Sano couldn't score from second on a ball hit down the right-field line from Eddie Rosario in the second, and said he'll continue to monitor Sano moving forward. Sano missed Friday's game with the injury.

"It's not bothering him to swing," Molitor said. "I was hoping to see a little bit more on the base hit by Rosario. I don't know if he's being overly careful or if that's all he's got. It hasn't bothered him to swing, so he's a tough guy to take out of there. The trainers have told me the risk is fairly minimal because of the strength and flexibility of his leg."

Sano said he's been getting treatment every day for 45 minutes before the game and 20 minutes after the game, but said he can play through the injury and could even handle playing third base, if needed. But for now, the Twins will be cautious and keep him in his role as designated hitter.

"I'm trying to not run too hard or too fast," Sano said. "I can feel it when I'm on base."

White Sox manager Robin Ventura also noticed Sano was slowed by his hamstring, and wasn't bothered by his slow trout around the bases in the seventh.

"I don't know if he was moving around all that good anyway," Ventura said. "That's the norm." White Sox right-hander Nate Jones, who served up the homer, also said he didn't even notice Sano was slow around the bases, but complimented the young slugger.

"I mean, 3-2, I don't know how many hitters are expecting the slider," Jones said. "That's what I wanted to do with it. It just happened to be to the wrong hitter at the wrong time."

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After Sano homers, Twins capitalize on errors

Rhett Bollinger & Scott Merkin | MLB.com | September 1, 2015

MINNESOTA -- Miguel Sano and Eduardo Escobar each had three hits and helped the Twins rally late in an 8-6 win over the White Sox on Tuesday night at Target Field. The victory left the Twins one game back of the Rangers for the second American League Wild Card after Texas beat San Diego by the same 8-6 margin.

Sano crushed his 14th homer -- a solo shot off reliever Nate Jones -- to tie the game in the seventh before the Twins took the lead in the eighth, keyed by a leadoff double from Escobar against lefty Zach Duke. Escobar scored on an error from Duke, as his throw to first on a bunt attempt from Kurt Suzuki sailed wide. Joe Mauer provided an RBI single before added a sacrifice fly to give the Twins two insurance runs.

"It was a really good bunt, but at the same time, I should be able to field my position," said Duke. "It's on me. I literally did nothing to help us win a game today, and it's borderline embarrassing."

White Sox ace Chris Sale was left with a no-decision as a result after allowing four runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings. He also struck out 10 and walked one. Sale is 1-3 with a 6.30 ERA in five starts against Minnesota this season.

Twins right-hander Tyler Duffey also didn't factor into the decision after going 4 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs on three hits and three walks. Reliever Kevin Jepsen picked up the win with a scoreless eighth, while closer Glen Perkins got his 32nd save despite giving up a run on a two-out RBI single from Tyler Saladino.

"The momentum changer for us was the home run," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "When you're trailing, if you can get back to even, it takes the pressure off because you're at your home park and you get the last at-bat. So that was huge for us, and then we put together a nice inning and took advantage of some misplays to score three runs."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Twins strike with four-run second: Sano started the rally with a single before Eddie Rosario, Escobar and Suzuki came through with consecutive singles to bring home two runs. Brian Dozier added a two-run double to give Minnesota an early 4-0 lead. More >

"They hit the ball hard and they score a lot of runs," said Sale of the Twins' magic against him. "I don't think I can pinpoint one thing. I made a couple of adjustments there after that inning to make things a little bit smoother and start pitching to locations instead of all over the place."

We have lift off: Avisail Garcia helped the White Sox come all the way back from a 4-0 deficit by launching a two-run blast off of Casey Fien in the sixth for a 5-4 White Sox advantage. Pet Statcast™, the ball had an exit speed of 106 mph with an angle of 30 degrees and traveled an estimated distance of 426 feet.

Duffey loses command: Duffey rolled through his first 4 2/3 innings before giving up a two-out single to Adam LaRoche. It snowballed from there, as he walked three straight batters, including Tyler Flowers with the bases loaded. Adam Eaton followed with a two-run single to knock Duffey from the game.

"I just kind of got away from things that were working," Duffey said. "I started slinging the ball and aiming the ball and the next thing you know I walk three straight hitters. It was kind of one of those things where I was cruising, but luckily the bullpen bailed me out and we scored some runs and got the win."

Captain of the K: Sale fanned 10 over 6 1/3 innings, marking the 13th time this season that he has reached double-digit strikeouts. That's the first time that's been done in the Major Leagues since Randy Johnson struck out 10 or more in 13 games in 2004. He needs 31 strikeouts to break the White Sox single-season record of 269 set by Ed Walsh in 1908 and 61 to reach 300. More >

QUOTABLE "Miguel is strong. For me, Miggy is the next Miguel Cabrera in this league. Sano is the next Miguel Sano in a couple years. He has a good approach at the plate and good discipline. He's like a veteran, not a rookie." -- Escobar, on Sano

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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS • Sano became the fourth player in the last 10 seasons to hit at least 14 home runs through his first 50 career games, joining Jose Abreu, Ryan Braun and Evan Gattis. More >

• Of the 68 runs allowed by Sale this season, 24 have been against the Twins (35 percent). The 19 runs Sale has allowed at Target Field are the most by an opposing starter in a single season in Target Field history, passing John Danks' 17 in 2014.

REPLAY REVIEW The Twins challenged a play successfully in the second, when Melky Cabrera hit a grounder up the middle that was fielded by Escobar, who spun and threw to first. Cabrera was ruled safe by first-base umpire Lance Barrett, but after a review, the call was overturned and he was out. With two outs and Gordon Beckham on first in the ninth, the White Sox challenged the call of a foul ball on an inside pitch to Eaton in the hopes that they would get a hit-by-pitch. The call on the field stood and the count stayed 0-2 on Eaton, who eventually got an infield single for his fourth hit.

WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: Carlos Rodon makes start No. 20 and his 23rd appearance in the second of this three-game series, with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. CT at Target Field. Rodon has a 2-1 record with a 1.61 ERA over his last four starts, striking out 29 in 28 innings. Twins: Lefty Tommy Milone is set to take the mound in the second game of the series on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Milone has not pitched deep into games recently, as he hasn't gone more than 5 1/3 innings since coming off the 15-day disabled list on Aug. 16.

Escobar raising the bar with everyday role

Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | September 1, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- When the Twins sent Danny Santana down on Aug. 1, manager Paul Molitor seemed committed to platooning Eduardo Escobar and Eduardo Nunez at shortstop based on matchups.

But Escobar has made that increasingly harder. Escobar carried over a hot August into the first day of September, going 3-for-4 in Tuesday's 8-6 victory over the White Sox and sparking the team's three-run, eighth-inning rally.

Escobar played out of position earlier this season, playing 34 games in left field. An infielder by trade, he sometimes looked out of position, misplaying fly balls. Now, he's seeing the majority of the time at shortstop.

When he comes to the park, more often than not, he knows he's going to be in the lineup, and he knows where he's going to be. He sported a .295/.375/.577 slashline in August with four home runs, doubling his season total in the month.

So, what changed?

"I think more opportunity to play every day," Escobar said. "It's different when you're coming to the field, you know what position you play."

Tuesday, Escobar drove in the first run with a single, and followed that up with a double to lead off the fourth and another to lead off the eighth.

"He's played well. He's swinging the bat as of late as well as he has all season," Molitor said. "I think he's comfortable with the fact that he's getting a majority of the playing time defensively. Offensively, as far as both sides of the plate, he's getting it done." Escobar came through in the eighth inning with the Twins locked in a tie game after seeing a four-run lead turn into a one-run deficit. An inning after Miguel Sano launched the tying home run, Escobar provided a spark of his own.

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Down 0-2 against White Sox reliever Zach Duke, Escobar knew he needed to put the ball in play. He did better than that, fighting off a curveball and lining it to right field. He scored on the very next play, as Duke threw away Kurt Suzuki's sacrifice bunt.

With the three-hit effort, Escobar has 11 hits in his past seven games. And it couldn't come at a better time for the Twins, as they're chasing down the Rangers for the second American League Wild Card.

"I'm feeling good now," Escobar said.

Walker among prospects headed to AFL

Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | September 1, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- Adam Brett Walker headlines the list of seven Twins prospects headed to Scottsdale, Ariz., to play in the Arizona Fall League this October.

Walker, the team's No. 10 prospect, according to MLBpipeline.com, was the team's third-round pick in the 2012 Draft. Known for his power, Walker, an outfielder, leads all of Double-A with 29 home runs and 101 RBIs. But he also leads the league with 187 strikeouts, 44 more than the next closest player. Nearly 40 percent of his at-bats this season have ended with a whiff.

"He needs to work on strike-zone discipline. He needs to work on his defense. He needs to work on his throwing. He's got some kind of power," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "He can hit a ball a long way to any part of the field, but it's just a matter of consistency."

Walker is one of four from Chattanooga who will join the Scottsdale Scorpions. He's joined by teammates Nick Burdi (No. 12 prospect) and Jake Reed (18), as well as catcher Stuart Turner (19).

Between Class A Advanced Fort Myers and Chattanooga, Burdi, a righty drafted in the second round of the 2014 Draft, has a 5.01 ERA in 60 2/3 innings as a reliever. Reed, also a reliever, has spent a majority of the season in Chattanooga, compiling a 4.50 ERA over 56 innings.

Turner, one of two Twins catchers headed to the AFL, has spent the whole season at Chattanooga, hitting .220 in 313 at-bats. Mitch Garver, who has spent the year catching at Fort Myers, will also head to the Fall League. Garver is hitting .245 with 56 RBIs.

Taylor Rogers, the team's No. 13 prospect, is the only representative from Triple-A Rochester, and Trevor Hildenberger will join the Scorpions from Fort Myers.

"Rogers has got some things going for him," Ryan said. "He can spin a ball and he's got a lot of guts. He throws a lot of strikes."

Rogers, a starter, is 9-12 with a 4.19 ERA at Rochester in 26 games, and Hildenberger, a reliever, is 3-2 with a 1.43 ERA between Class A Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers.

"It's good experience. It's one of the better leagues that we have and can send these guys to," Ryan said. "They should take advantage of the situation."

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Ryan, Molitor say decision on prospect Berrios has not yet been made

Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | September 1, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins manager Paul Molitor and GM Terry Ryan left open the possibility that the Twins might call up top pitching prospect J.O. Berrios this September. The Twins made five call-ups earlier in the day Tuesday and Berrios wasn't among them, despite posting great numbers in Double-A and Triple-A this season. Apparently, the decision to not call up Berrios on Tuesday is not necessarily the Twins' final answer. "Yeah we're going to leave that open," Ryan said. "We brought some people up because the rosters expand. There are certain things that [Molitor] wants to do and maneuver around, so we brought some people up to help that cause. "We also have some other people down there that we're considering." Ryan said a Berrios promotion to help the struggling pitching staff will be "up for discussion," and said that no final decision has been made yet. Ryan was in Rochester for Berrios' two most recent starts for the Red Wings. Berrios posted to strong starts, and pitched a combined 13 innings in which he allowed one earned run on seven hits while striking out 17 and walking only one batter. "I don't think we have finalized everything we're going to do here going forward," Molitor said before Tuesday's game when asked about Berrios. "His name is definitely still been talked about." The manager made it clear the Twins are thinking about the innings Berrios has already thrown this year, although Ryan said there's not a set limit for the number of innings he could pitch. Berrios already has surpassed 160 innings after throwing his previous career-high, 140 innings, a year ago. The workload for the 21-year-old certainly will be a consideration for the Twins. Ryan said he hadn't given much thought to whether Berrios could help the Twins as a member of the bullpen. He also said he hadn't given much thought to whether Berrios would be a starter if he were to be called up. Ryan added that the Twins won't know if Berrios can help them until they see him up in the big leagues. Minor league track record can be a good indicator, he suggested, but there's no way to know for certain. What more would he like to see from Berrios before making a decision? "I've seen enough. His stuff and his ability to throw first-pitch strikes and change speeds and throw breaking balls in a fastball count, that type of stuff, that's what I go there [to scout] for," Ryan said. "For the most part, he did a nice job. His [stat] line was impressive both outings." Berrios has an impressive 170:35 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 161 1/3 innings combined between Chattanooga and Rochester (Double-A and Triple-A)this season. That kind of production -striking out more than a batter per inning and not walking many -- is usually a pretty good indicator that a pitcher could be ready to succeed at the next level. His strikeout totals even have some fans dreaming about a top-of-the rotation ace. Ryan sounded like he wanted to tap the brakes on those assumptions. "I don't know about that," Ryan said, when asked if Berrios will someday be a top-of-the-rotation starter. "A lot of strikeouts in the minor leagues are balls that are outside the zone. That doesn't happen up here quite as much as it does down there. But historically if a guy is a strikeout pitcher at Double- and Triple-A, usually it transitions to some extent." "If they're striking out nine [batters] per 9 innings down there, usually it doesn't quite equate but that would be probably seven [strikeouts per 9 innings in the Majors], which is quite high up here. You get a guy striking out seven or eight per 9 [innings] up here, that's pretty good. Sold. He can strike some people out because he can throw a changeup, he can throw a curve ball, he can throw a fastball. He's got three pitches, he's not a two-pitch guy," Ryan said.

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Zulgad: Twins GM does impressive job of dodging Berrios queries

Judd Zulgad | 1500espn.com | September 1, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins might not call up Jose Berrios from Triple-A Rochester because they don't want to burn a year of his service time in one month. They might not make the move because they are concerned about the number of innings he has pitched this summer. They might not make the move because the time of the moon is not right. The only person who knows the exact answer to the question of why the Twins' top pitching prospect isn't at Target Field is Terry Ryan and this much is certain: The general manager isn't going to say unless the Twin Cities media suddenly gets subpoena power. Ryan's 17-plus minute pregame press briefing Tuesday turned into a comical attempt by the press corps to find out why Berrios hadn't been among those summoned when big-league rosters expanded. Ryan, usually a fairly forthcoming guy, would have made Vikings general manager Rick Spielman proud as he provided as many non-answers as possible. By my count, there were 20-Berrios related questions asked of Ryan. "Are you considering Berrios?" "Is there a concern about calling up Berrios?" "Do you feel like Berrios could help this club if he came up?" "What's the determining factor for whether you call up Berrios?" The local media directed questions at Ryan like the Wild tries to direct shots on goal during a power play. And now the local media knows how the Wild must feel when their two minutes are up. Ryan deflected nearly every question safely into the corner. One example came when he was asked if Berrios could help the Twins. "He threw the ball well," said Ryan, who saw Berrios make two starts during his recent trip to Rochester. "Just like every other guy down there. It was very pleasurable to watch those guys work, and I think there were three or four shutouts while I was there. Everybody pitched well. It's encouraging for us." Ryan said at one point there were "no concerns," about Berrios, but shortly thereafter said that asking the starter to pitch out of the bullpen would be a concern. Questions about Berrios caused Ryan to turn the conversation to, in order, Kennys Vargas, Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton and Kirby Puckett. Don't ask. Ryan did acknowledge that Berrios is 21-years old and called him, "a talented kid." Through all of this Ryan would not close the door on calling up Berrios and he said "maybe" when asked if another pitcher might be summoned from the minors. Berrios, obviously, would be the logical candidate. The righthander is 5-2 with a 2.67 earned-run average at Rochester, after going 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA at Double-A Chattanooga. He has thrown 161.1 innings this season, or 21.1 innings more than his previous high, but likely will make one more start for the Red Wings before their season ends. Ryan isn't going to say it, but this comes down to the fact the Twins don't want to start the clock on Berrios' service time. There are many who agree with this decision and it would be a no-brainer to leave him in the minors if the Twins were not in contention for a wild card spot. However, they are and one can't help but think that Berrios could have helped this team in some way. It might be too late now, but why the Twins didn't call up Berrios when they summoned the likes of Buxton and Sano is a head scratcher. So why didn't the Twins make a move on Berrios a month ago? Ryan wasn't asked that question on Tuesday and, if he had been, it's anyone's guess how he would have found a way to avoid it.

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Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: Duffey finds trouble, Sano homers, Sox fumble Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | September 1, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS - The Twins improved to five games better than .500 when they hung on to beat the White Sox, 8-6, on Tuesday in the first game of a three-game series. This column presents 5 thoughts from Tuesday's game. As always, feel free to ask questions or make observations in the comments. If you have a unique baseball observation during a game, feel free to share it with me on Twitter (@DerekWetmore). -- 1. The White Sox gave away the game with a pair of 8th inning errors that led to two more Twins runs. The Twins had tied the game at 5-5 in the 7th inning on Miguel Sano's solo home run, and then scored three more in the 8th inning to take command of the game. Eduardo Escobar doubled to lead off the inning -- his third hit of the night in addition to flashing some leather at shortstop in the 2nd inning. Then Kurt Suzuki tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt down the third base line but the pitcher threw it away while attempting to make a throw to first base, which allowed Escobar to score and Suzuki to trot into second base. Then a Byron Buxton ground ball got between the legs of third baseman Tyler Saladino, which allowed Suzuki to reach third base as Buxton sped into second base. The Sox intentionally walked Brian Dozier to load the bases for Joe Mauer with nobody out, and Mauer made them pay by lining a single to right-center field to score Suzuki. Buxton scored on Trevor Plouffe's sacrifice fly to shallow center field and the Twins were in charge of the game, 8-5. -- 2. Miguel Sano hit a game-tying home run in the 7th inning that left his bat at 105 mph and landed in the second deck in left field. Sano has been great since his call-up and he's as big a reason as any player the Twins remain in the hunt for the postseason. The impressive rookie entered Tuesday's game batting .287/.398/.591 and then went 3-for-5 with the home run. He's produced plenty at the plate, despite a sore hamstring in recent games, and he's certainly not short on confidence. "The playoffs, it's great. But everybody needs to be in the playoffs. Working hard, everybody needs to fight to make the playoffs because the team needs to win the World Series," Sano said after the game. Molitor said that home run might have swung the momentum of the game. The White Sox had erased a 4-0 deficit and taken the lead in the 6th inning. Then Sano answered with his solo blast in the 7th inning. "He's usually in the middle of something that's positive for us offensively," Molitor said. -- In this Touch 'Em All podcast episode, Phil Mackey and I debate the theoretical trade value Miguel Sano would have right now. -- 3. Tyler Duffey was on cruise control through 4 2/3 innings, and then suddenly he pulled the emergency brake. The rookie got through three perfect innings and then erased a 4th-inning leadoff single with a double play ball. He got two fly outs to start the fifth inning and then things came unraveled for the Twins. Adam LaRoche singled and manager Paul Molitor said he noticed Duffey began to quicken his pace with a runner on base - even though LaRoche is no speed demon. Duffey walked Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Sanchez on five pitches each. Then he walked Tyler Flowers to knock in a run and roll over the lineup. Adam Eaton ended Duffey's night when he singled to right field to drive home two White Sox runs and force Molitor to go to the bullpen. From my perspective, home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor had a bad night calling balls and strikes, and I wouldn't blame either team if it took issue with the strike zone. I thought in particular in the 5th inning Duffey might have been the victim of some inconsistent ball/strike calls, but Duffey downplayed that. He said if he would have hit his target a little more regularly he might've gotten the calls, but with as erratic as he was in that inning, it's hard to expect the benefit of the doubt. -- 4. Chris Sale was not his usual dominant self, but he still made a big impact on the game.

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Sale pitched well against the Twins in his first start of the season. But in is two most recent starts the Twins had put some runs on the board against the dominant lefty. In his past two outings entering Tuesday, Sale allowed a combined total of 10 runs on 14 hits in 14 2/3 innings. He still had a fantastic 20:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, but the Twins had done some damage against him and won both of those games. He ran into similar trouble in the 4th inning, when the Twins scored four runs on five hits to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Sale shut them down after that and last 6 1/3 innings before being pulled Tuesday. Sale struck out 10 batters, the 13th time this season he's whiffed at least that many hitters. That's the first time a pitcher has had that many double-digit strikeout games since Randy Johnson did it in 2004. -- 5. The Twins made five call-ups as rosters expanded when the calendar rolled to September. Kennys Vargas, Danny Santana, Eric Fryer, Michael Tonkin and A.J. Achter joined the Twins from the Triple-A . Tonkin and Achter should help provide some relief for an overworked bullpen. Fryer will be an insurance option at catcher behind Kurt Suzuki and Chris Herrmann. Santana will likely be a pinch-runner and emergency shortstop option behind Eduardo Escobar and Eduardo Nunez. Vargas, meanwhile, will primarily be a pinch-hitter, manager Paul Molitor said. After all, the Twins are pretty well set at DH for right now. Although Molitor didn't rule out using Vargas in that role occasionally when circumstances call for it. Conspicuously absent from the team's first round of September call-ups was top pitching prospect J.O. Berrios. GM Terry Ryanexplained the decision Tuesday - sort of. He didn't provide an exact reason for why Berrios wasn't among the first round of call-ups, although he did say the team hasn't made a final decision on the 21-year-old.

Sano’s home run ties game, White Sox kick it away in the next inning

Associated Press | September 1, 2015 MINNEAPOLIS -- Miguel Sano has been playing with a strain of his right hamstring, a mild injury that's still a concern for the Minnesota Twins. There's a natural solution to this. Keep hitting the ball into the seats, and Sano doesn't have to run hard at all. Sano's towering home run tied the game for Minnesota in the seventh inning, and two Chicago errors aided the go-ahead rally in the eighth for the Twins in an 8-6 victory Tuesday night over the White Sox. "It's really important because this team can make the playoffs, so I'm excited about that," said Sano, who took three steps before starting a slow jog to complete his 14th home run in his 50th major league game. "Sano is the next Miguel Cabrera, in a couple years," said teammateEduardo Escobar. "He looks like a veteran guy, not a rookie." Escobar's leadoff double, his third hit, started the trouble for Zach Duke (3-5), who threw away a sacrifice bunt attempt by Kurt Suzuki for one run. Third baseman Tyler Saladino let a grounder go through his legs, and the Twins scored twice more on a single and a sacrifice fly. Kevin Jepsen (3-6) pitched a perfect eighth inning for the win. Glen Perkins recorded his 32nd save, his first in 16 days, despite a three-hit ninth that included an RBI single by Saladino. Avasail Garcia's two-run homer in the sixth inning gave Chris Sale and the White Sox a 5-4 lead, but Ventura pulled the lanky left-hander with one out in the seventh for hard-throwing righty Nate Jones for the right-handed heart of Minnesota's order. Sano drove a full-count, two-out changeup from Jones into the second deck. "He's pretty calm up there. I know he's young, but he doesn't look young when he's going to the plate," Ventura said. The Twins, who are 41-25 at home this year including 7-1 against the White Sox, stepped into September with a wild card spot in play, their first meaningful final month of the season in five years. The Twins started the day one game behind Texas for the second American League wild card spot. The Rangers played later Tuesday night at San Diego. Promoted straight from Double-A two months ago, Sano had three hits to raise his batting average to a team-best .295. He has 41 RBI. Manager Paul Molitor said the hamstring "concerns me somewhat" but said team athletic trainers have told him Sano faces minimal risk for aggravating the injury because of the flexibility and strength he has in his leg. 16

"It isn't bothering the swing, and he's a tough guy to take out of there," Molitor said. Sale is 1/3 with a 6.30 ERA in five starts against the Twins this year and 11-4 with a 2.68 ERA in his 21 other turns. Sale threw two wild pitches in a four-run second by the Twins, when Escobar and Suzuki hit RBI singles and Brian Dozier added a two-run double. Rookie Tyler Duffey, who has been a superb fill-in with Phil Hughes recovering from a back injury with a 1.89 ERA over his previous three starts, cruised into the fifth inning behind a sharp curveball with 14 outs through the first 14 batters he faced. Then came the two-out single by Adam LaRoche, three consecutive walks to the last three hitters in the lineup and a two-run single by Adam Eaton to cut the lead to 4-3. Duffey was replaced by Neil Cotts, who finished that frame without further damage but left a runner on for Garcia to drive in with the homer in the sixth. SALE ON STRIKEOUTS Sale had 10 strikeouts for the White Sox, his 13th start this season with double digits. The last major league pitcher to strike out at least 10 batters that many times in a year was Randy Johnson, who had 13 such starts in 2004 for Arizona. Sale predictably downplayed the feat. "I understand what it is and what it means, but at the same time we're right in the thick of it right now and we've just started one of the hardest months of the year," he said. TRAINER'S ROOM Sano said he's getting treatment on his hamstring for 45 minutes before each game and 20 minutes after. The injury kept him out Friday, but that's his only absence. "I'm in pain, but I'm OK," Sano said. UP NEXT The White Sox send LHP Carlos Rodon (6-5, 4.15 ERA) to the mound Wednesday. LHP Tommy Milone (6-4, 3.86 ERA) starts for the Twins.

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